Jump to content
 

Ryecroft Arena


sf315
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hello all with a recent tidy up and reorganisation of the garage and modeling room I’ve found space for a small layout but what. 

Ive a collection of second generation DMUs in regional livery and early privatisation liveries which were mainly used on previous layouts and aren’t getting much running nowadays. 

I have got this idea in my head of a station in a built up area of office type buildings and that the station has had a major rebuild in the mid 90s and has a shopping centre, an arena for shows concerts and the like built on top. 

The downside is most of the buildings will be in low relief I’ve a stash of Outland Models buildings I intend to bash about. 

The size of the layout will be approx 56 inches long including fiddle Yard by 8 inches wide in N gauge. As you can see it’s a longish thin small layout mainly for units. 

I do have a track plan in my head but as always I push points around on my actual board to see what I can do. 

Thats all for now as I’ve got to make the boards hopefully there will be something to show soon. 

Edited by sf315
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

The board is built and has had a coat of paint the white is the fiddle Yard area ( I like my fiddle yard painted white don’t know why it just looks neater). The layout area black. The top is a peice of laminate flooring a very good quality MDF. I’ve used it before for small layouts and know how good it is. 

The fiddle Yard is hinged half way down as this is for storage and transportation of the layout. 

Going to give it a couple of days to dry them can get planning. Like I say I’ve a trackplan in my head that I’ve worked out will fit but want to try and put the tracks on a slight curve to get rid of straightness 

thanks for looking steve. 

 

27D2153A-13F3-438F-9CA7-7D8ECD7887BE.jpeg

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

Here’s a first take on a possible trackplan would like to curve it a bit more but it’s looking like the board width won’t allow it but we’ll see. 

The platforms would go on the right side of the two tracks together and an island platform in between the two on the left. They’re long enough to hold a 4 car DMU or obviously two 2 car units. The whole station won’t be built over only the end 6 inches or so leaving the platforms sticking out. 

The line going off the bottom left side is to a layover loop/ runround. 

Thanks Steve. 

89D76D57-8C3E-4E38-9F2C-AC9827AEBFD0.jpeg

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

A little bit of time today and I was back  pushing points around and came up with this plan which would give me the desired curve. Basically the single and the island platform will swap places and the layover loop/ run round moves to the other side 

 

9684F3BE-4B87-4FDB-8B69-902D584C0F17.jpeg

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

I’ve kept looking at the plan as above and placed where I think the platforms would roughly go. Ideas are developing for the scenic side of the layout all in all good fun. 

I am going to use PECO set track points in the fiddle Yard and these were ordered yesterday. 

Thanks Steve. 

1E6757A6-B7AC-450B-AB13-BA5D4CCEA487.jpeg

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks. 

Trains will arrive and depart from the left hand platform it’s assumed the crossover is the other side of the overbridge that’s the scenic break

any locos and parcels will arrive on the right hand platform and will reverse into the layover loop for running round and then reverse back into the platform. 

Units can stable in the platforms. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

The track has been laid on the scenic section. Since it’s only in the main 3 peices of code 55  flexitrack I’ve glued it down with contact adhesive and put weights on it for a while. Looking at the fiddle yard it’s looking like 4 or 5 roads which will have isolating sections (control will be analogue) so a two car and a single unit can be accommodated or two 142 units. In each road. 

It’s looking like about 8 or 9 units will be in use depending on what combinations of unit I use eg:  a 156 and a 153 running together as 3 coach train. The 3 platforms will have isolating sections in them as well 

Thanks Steve. 

Edited by sf315
Link to post
Share on other sites

I’ve made the backscene boards today and fitted them although they are at this stage removable for wiring purposes. They’re made from 6mm MDF which I wouldn’t normally use but it was hanging around in the garage. The back board is spaced about 40mm off the back of the actual board so I can give the buildings some depth and below rail level and have them not flat on the backscene. 

Thanks Steve. 

 

D186764B-6D3C-4CCA-A5BE-C4E006C54D88.jpeg

F8628016-72BB-41CD-821B-BD999BFDB3E0.jpeg

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

A train ran for the first time yesterday as I’ve put the track feeds in and it was tested. The isolating sections were also cut in where required in the platform roads. 

The control box has had a start made on it and have ordered some toggle switches for point operation And isolating sections. I’ve also ordered the SEEP point motors. 

The backscene boards have been painted white ready for the printed backscene that I’ve got. 

Thanks Steve. 

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Work is progressing well 

firstly just to make things a bit easier for operation I’ve extended the fiddle yard by 6 inches so the overall length of the layout now is 62 inches total. 

This week I’ve been working on the electrics and the 3rd pic shows all the hardware in position with the flying leads on the point motor already into the connector blocks. The CDU is in position but not wired as yet. The wires to the copper cladding are the track feed wires as electofrog points are used so I always wire to the toe of the point and isolate the frog. 

Ive also constructed the switch box (2nd pic) with the isolating switches in position and the point motor switches mounted. These will be eventually colour coded with plastic tops that you can get for toggle switches. The 1st pic shows the fiddle yard layout. 

All I need to do now is get the soldering iron plugged in and solder everything up. 

Thanks Steve

 

CC38065E-BF05-414B-B3A0-630852BAAC6E.jpeg

306C65F2-D3CB-4F83-BE03-725F62892F1E.jpeg

4972A75E-A300-4F53-B7D9-625FD23E29B9.jpeg

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Soldering nearly complete just the connector to put on to the controller then can have a test run.

The electrics will have to be revisited at a later date for the signalling and i have  bought some platform lights off Amazon that look quite modernish, but need to put the platforms in first .

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

A bit more progress the PECO platform edges have been glued in place i have used brick facing for one platform on the premise that when the station was rebuilt they kept the original platform, the other is concrete faced to show a new build platform. Work can then start to put the top on the platform. Moving to the other end i can also make a start on the bridge that will form the scenic break. The fiddle yard has had sides and ends put on to stop trains ending up on the floor.

thanks Steve

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

With the days jobs done I spent a bit of time doing a bit more on the overbridge and have a look at how the building may be fitted in and I rather like this configuration. It may turnout to be a hotel. 

This is the first knockings of it and held together with masking tape but it gives some idea of how it would fit. But that’s all the fun of modeling seeing what you can do and bashing kits about. 

Its an Outland Models building. 

Thanks Steve. 

 

64EC6E60-07D1-4B69-BDDD-71012A0E197C.jpeg

D627EC72-C885-4C0C-8627-D678EAE7C83F.jpeg

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

A bit more progress on the layout. 

The platforms have had their tops put on using Evergreen tiles sheet to represent non slip flooring around the building entrance and embossed pavement plasticard to give a bit of decoration along the platform and plain plasticard for the rest. 

Also the bridge  in the distance has had more work done to it as has  the building, it’s had a base built for the lower ground section. The stone wall separating the upper and lower backscene level had been finished off with embossed plasticard and given a coat of paint. 

thanks Steve. 

2B0C7299-D48B-443D-BE42-5DAD9E0E38D9.jpeg

Link to post
Share on other sites

I’ve made a start on the arena and after looking at how far I wanted to cover the platforms I’ve cut it back a few inches and built the basic structure shapes of the station and arena/ shopping centre.  I think this looks a lot better now. 

Thanks. 

 

F00C403A-6ADF-4DFF-83DF-E006C6714A03.jpeg

  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

An update on what I’ve been up to with the layout. 

The trunking and bases for the cabinets has been glued down and the track ballasted. I’ve also made a start on painting the overbridge. 

The pic below shows where I am upto with the ballast still a bit wet and the bridge in position. The bridge is removable so to access the points if required. 

When the ballast is dry it’ll be tidied up and the layout tested again before the ballast is airbrushed with tints of grey black and general track colour. 

EB098CF5-59B2-43C0-AE85-E02A951006E4.jpeg

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

The photo backscenes have been glued in position the pics show what I’ve gone for. It didn’t have to be a continuous scene as the buildings on the scene will be glimpsed or seen mainly over the rooftops on the low relief buildings that will be in front covering the trees. 

The backscene is one obtained from Plus Daughters and is from a Canadian firm. 

Hope the pics give some indication of what I am hoping to achieve. Much foreground building is going to take place. 

Thanks Steve. 

097C3E48-28BB-425D-9906-55CDE268872C.jpeg

D1A7BF41-C8BD-40D9-AD33-3A37C3921F71.jpeg

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...